This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel.
Paphos (Pafos), Cyprus, is located on the western coast of the Greek-speaking part of Cyprus. The town is in easy reach of Limassol, the biggest port of the country, and Larnaca, the city with the biggest international airport. However, Paphos has its own airport as well, with mostly cheap flight companies flying here.
Paphos has a long history going back to the Antiquities -- Petra tou Romiou, a rock formation about twenty-five kilometers from Paphos, is considered to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty. With a mythical atmosphere surrounding this place, Paphos has everything from Ancient Greek ruins through a Medieval castle to a modern shopping street as well as all the luxuries you can expect from a Mediterranean holiday resort. It is exactly because of this mixture of cultural heritage that Paphos gained a place for itself on the UNESCO's World Heritage list. Moreover, Paphos will soon serve as the Cultural Capital of the European Union, which means that a variety of cultural events will make the life of the city even more colourful during the year.
Another enchanting feature of Paphos is its closeness to the sea; walking along the beautiful promenade that ends in an atmospheric harbour, you'll find an abundance of restaurants and cafes with their adjoining outdoors eating areas that overlook the beautiful turquoise water. And you will definitely not have a problem choosing from the menu either -- from the fresh catches of the day to the delicious grilled halumni cheese, Cypriot food is guaranteed to take your breath away!
Once in Paphos, you will be spoilt with a variety of choices of places to visit and activities to do. With the sea in easy reach, you should definitely devote at least one day to some beach time. Just north of the town, you will find the Coral Bay -- it's got not only breathtaking scenery, but also the prospect of meeting some turtles marching along the sand. However, if you are looking for cultural attractions, the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park is a must, along with the Ayios Neophytos Monastery, an impressive building carved into a hillside, which is a short ride outide of Paphos.
Paphos deserves at least a few days' stay. However, even though the town boasts a wide variety of hotels and other upper-scale accommodation facilities, your options for hostels in Paphos (Pafos), Cyprus, are very limited. If you are keen on staying in a hostel, one option is to stay in Limassol and take a bus to Paphos every day -- after all, it's only an hour's ride away!
Written by local expertz for Paphos
JudyM
